{ 2. } Butterfly.
Bound Through the Crimson Butterfly
It was about noon time already, which was kind of a bad time to be going around. Youngmin went off his own way without telling where he was going, and it was bad enough that the weather was scorching hot that day. Kwangmin and Hyejin found themselves sweating and panting heavily already, and they weren't even halfway to the forest.
"Hold on..I'm tired.." the male said, holding onto his companion's shoulder while being almost completely out of breath.
"Hold on..I'm tired.." the male said, holding onto his companion's shoulder while being almost completely out of breath.
"I'm tired too..but Youngmin..he can't..I.." she trailed off, stopping for a moment to catch some air and to think a bit.
"Look, it's not your fault. Not at all," he reassured her, patting her back gently. "Also, why can't we go today?" he asked, obviously curious. After all, she was the one who asked them if they wanted to go. Though, at that sentence, Hyejin froze in place and took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Ah..the..c-contractors..," Hyejin started, stuttering a bit in her words..as if she was afraid to continue speaking. This only piqued Kwangmin's interest. Contractors..?
"The..what?"
"The contractors..they're c-checking the f..f-forest..t-today..so we're not..s-supposed to go," the girl continued, now starting to walk again, albeit a bit briskly this time. 'Contractors..? Aren't they people who..build things--! ..Wait, I need to ask. I might be overreacting..but why does Hyejin seem to not want to talk about it..? Agh.'
"The..what?"
"The contractors..they're c-checking the f..f-forest..t-today..so we're not..s-supposed to go," the girl continued, now starting to walk again, albeit a bit briskly this time. 'Contractors..? Aren't they people who..build things--! ..Wait, I need to ask. I might be overreacting..but why does Hyejin seem to not want to talk about it..? Agh.'
"Contractors? Checking the forest? But why..?" Kwangmin asked in a strong tone, grabbing the girl's wrist to stop her from walking. She was clearly hiding something from him, and he wanted to know what it was. Was his thought a fact? There was a possibility. At this point, Hyejin looked like she was close to tears. "Hyejin! Why..?!" he repeated, staring intently into her wet eyes.
"I..I didn't want to say this..b-but you have a right t-to know..," she said, clearing and choking back her tears. "Kwangmin..t-they're..they're going to build a new mall..in the forest."
"I..I didn't want to say this..b-but you have a right t-to know..," she said, clearing and choking back her tears. "Kwangmin..t-they're..they're going to build a new mall..in the forest."
The boy was rendered speechless, not knowing how to react properly. Those words hit him deeply. A mall? Over a well-preserved forest? What?
They were going to build a mall and destroy their secret place. Their one and only place. Their place will be gone in a few months time. Everything will be gone. The cold and flowing stream they dipped their feet and hands in...
The dense and shady trees they sat under when the sweltering heat was too much...
The large boulder with their names, scribbles and memories engraved and written on it in charcoal...
The free and beautiful butterflies..especially the butterflies, they will be gone too. Everything...replaced by unneeded stores and establishments that clearly just want money from the townspeople. 'Sick beings..our place..me, Youngmin and Hyejin..our hideaway..gone..?'
The thought of it actually happening made him feel like crying.
"No, it can't be," he mumbled, limply letting go of Hyejin's wrist.
"K-Kwangmin..I..I'm sorry.."
"It's not your fault..really. Don't blame yourself, Jinjin," the boy assured her as he gave her a friendly hug, a gentle smile on his face as if he wasn't fazed. If he showed worry, it would only stress Hyejin even more..and he didn't want that. The young girl stared at him for a short while before curved up into a small smile.
"..But..I don't want our place to be taken away.." she said, sniffling and trying to keep herself from crying waterfalls, especially that she was in front of Kwangmin right now.
"I don't want our place to be run over too but..there's nothing much we could do," he told her with a disappointed sigh. If only his new idol status would help them preserve their forest..
"The butterflies, where will they go..?" she wondered out loud, before gasping and snapping her fingers. "W-Wait! Kwangmin, we're supposed to be getting Youngmin! Agh, I shouldn't have suggested this in the first place.."
"O-Oh, yeah! Not your fault, really. Come on, let's go--woah, slow down!" he exclaimed as Hyejin pulled him by the wrist again, running as fast as their legs could take them.
"..But..I don't want our place to be taken away.." she said, sniffling and trying to keep herself from crying waterfalls, especially that she was in front of Kwangmin right now.
"I don't want our place to be run over too but..there's nothing much we could do," he told her with a disappointed sigh. If only his new idol status would help them preserve their forest..
"The butterflies, where will they go..?" she wondered out loud, before gasping and snapping her fingers. "W-Wait! Kwangmin, we're supposed to be getting Youngmin! Agh, I shouldn't have suggested this in the first place.."
"O-Oh, yeah! Not your fault, really. Come on, let's go--woah, slow down!" he exclaimed as Hyejin pulled him by the wrist again, running as fast as their legs could take them.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hey kid, you're not allowed to go past this line. Get it to your head," said an annoyed muscular worker to Hyejin and Kwangmin, who were desperately trying to get in.
"My friend is in there! Please, let us in..h-he is..uh..tall, blonde, male, sporty casual outfit?" the girl questioned, hoping to be granted entrance to the forest or at least be informed of Youngmin's whereabouts.
"What the hell is he doing in the forest at this time?! It's not like we're building yet..but anyway. Our workers have already looked around, and there's no sign of your blond friend. Now shoo."
"Hey, Hyejin..maybe he's not here after all.."
"B-But..where else could he be? We know him well, Kwangmin..he's got to be here. There's simply no where else he would run to," she insisted, gripping rather tightly on her companion's wrist, hoping that he will agree with her. Kwangmin stood there, pondering.
'She's right. Where else could Youngmin be? But these machos won't let us in. Hm..hold on,' he mused, his eyes fixated on the worker's, who in turn stared back as if in attempt to intimidate him. It was kind of working, but he couldn't just let Hyejin stand there, helpless. He needed to apologize to Youngmin too..
Oh well. People should always take risks, and this is one of the times he needed to.
'A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Heh.' he thought, curling his right hand into a fist and stepping back a few steps. Three..
"Kwa..Kwangmin..?" Hyejin spoke up, her eyes big and wide.
Two..
The worker looked at him suspiciously, but didn't bother to do anything. The boy was now at around a meter's distance away from the macho.
One.
With a loud yell, Kwangmin ran to the worker, gaining as much speed as he could to send a strong impact before he jumped high into the air and punched the guy straight in the nose with all the strength he could muster. BAM! The worker then fell to the ground, howling in pain with his hands covering his nose. Once he was immobilized, Kwangmin took Hyejin's hand in his and ran away with her, running as fast as their legs could take them.
"Come on, before they catch up to us!" he exclaimed, almost tripping on an overgrown tree root. A short while later, they seemed to be far from them already, but Kwangmin wasn't taking chances.
"..Kwangmin.." she started, speaking in a monotone voice.
"I know, I know, I have explaining to do--"
"That was amazing!" she squealed in awe.
"I know--wait a minute, what?" Kwangmin started slowing down, as the workers were nowhere to be seen. He then walked slowly, still hand in hand with his companion, guiding her through the rocky and leaf-scattered place.
"That was cool! I never knew you were capable of hitting another person! I always thought it was Youngmin who would do that, with his temper the size of a pea and all," Hyejin joked, giggling. He laughed in response.
"Well, we did say we'll protect you," he said with a smile, looking up the clear bright sky.
"..I..I guess so." That simple little statement made the girl grin. 'Maybe they haven't forgotten about me after all..b-but it's too early to tell,' she thought, chuckling lightly to herself. While she was stuck in her own world, Kwangmin realized that they have arrived at their place. Their secret place.
It was untouched, and smelled of grass with a hint of a flower scent, just how it had always been. The trees..the stream..the boulder..everything was still there. This may be the last time they would be able to see their little sanctuary in person..
"We're here," Kwangmin said, gently pulling Hyejin to the boulder. The boulder they loved so much, full of their markings, scratches, engravings and faint drawings made of charcoal. They were still there. After a short while of simply enjoying the scenery, the younger twin then pulled out his phone, now taking pictures of the area..especially the markings on the boulder seated on the edge of a cold stream. It was surrounded by flowers, and the light from a big gap in the tree branches shone on it as if it was a sacred rock or something. He wanted to remember everything..before that everything was gone.
"Preserving the memories?" Hyejin spoke up, chuckling softly. She lightly patted his shoulder, trying to comfort him a bit.
"Mmhm," he nodded in response, getting as much pictures as possible.
CLICK CLICK CLICK went the shutter sound.
The girl took this time to admire the scenery..and also to find a familiar blond. He wasn't at this exact place..but he must be nearby. She looked around, and finally saw that crown of now-blond hair.
"Youngmin!" she called out, hoping to catch his attention. "Hey! Youngmin! We're over here!"
No avail. It was as if he was completely oblivious to his surroundings.
At this point, Kwangmin was finished taking photos, and now he pocketed his phone again before turning to the direction where his twin was walking off to. "Youngmin! I'm sorry, okay? I..I know I overreacted, and I'm really sorry..you forgive me?" he yelled in a loud voice, as the blond boy was rather far away now.
"Youngmin! Youngminnie!" Hyejin called out, in attempt to rile him up with the name "Youngminnie" as she knew he didn't like the name very much.
"Hey!" the brunette twin shouted, irritated. "I know you're mad but come on! Don't ignore Hyejin too!" he then started to run, run after his blond twin.
"W-Wait! Wait for me!" exclaimed the girl, following them suit.
As if by magic, the clear blue sky became a dark angry red, and the formerly brightly lit path was now an eerie one clouded in darkness. The green trees were now a dark black, and it was hard to see. Hyejin reached out in front of her, and her hands came in contact with something..or someone.
"Kwangmin! Ah, I found you--" she was cut off by a distorted pale face right in front of her..its arms were crawling up hers, and she shuddered before..
"A-A-AHH!" she then started screaming and running away, before colliding with something else.
"Oof!"
"AH!" the girl screamed again, frantically slapping what ever was there.
"Hye--OW--Hyejin!" a familiar voice winced.
Ah, it was Kwangmin.
"Sorry, sorry..K-Kwangmin.." she apologized, bowing politely.
"It's no big deal..it's Youngmin's fault, ignoring us as if he was one of those snobs back at school. Where is that idiot..?!"
"There!" she pointed to the older twin at the end of the path, with a peculiar crimson butterfly by him. Youngmin then raised a hand up, and beckoned them to follow him.
By instinct, they did.
And soon..they may regret it.
E n d C h a p t e r Two.
Author's Note:
Long chapter, yes. >< I got carried away of stuffing all of that in one chapter, haha. xD Yes, finally, update! I took longer than expected because I pressed Backspace and lost the last part..now I had to re-type everything. Wah. It's also kind of a bit rushed, since I'm pressed for time..
Anyway. I hope you all will like this chapter!
Their little adventure will officially start..at the next chapter. Bwahahah. xD
The next chapter will come probably..Friday though, or tomorrow. I'll see. School is starting tomorrow! ; _ ; B'aw.
Semi-hiatus~I'll only be able to update during weekends now, so I'm terribly sorry for my slow updates, both for this and Noona's in Charge. > <
Thank you for reading! Subscribe, comment~♥
And thank you to all subscribers and commenters!
Anyway. I hope you all will like this chapter!
Their little adventure will officially start..at the next chapter. Bwahahah. xD
The next chapter will come probably..Friday though, or tomorrow. I'll see. School is starting tomorrow! ; _ ; B'aw.
Semi-hiatus~I'll only be able to update during weekends now, so I'm terribly sorry for my slow updates, both for this and Noona's in Charge. > <
Thank you for reading! Subscribe, comment~♥
And thank you to all subscribers and commenters!
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